Sword Sage
by Anastrianna Shilaquinaria Kala
Summary: After being executed, Harry is halted on his way to death at last. Being the Master of Death, he has a choice. Die, and be at peace, or live in another world and fight evil once again. A Virtual Reality becomes Reality fic, m/m, powerful!Bit insane!Harry
1. Chapter 1

Sword Sage – Prologue

A/N: Wow… This Plot Bunny bit me hard on the bottom when I was recovering from a nasty horse-riding accident. Lets just say I was doped on pain drugs and leave it at that, 'kay? So, yeah. I was thinking after reading .hack… what if a virtual reality world became reality? So, I came up with Narzga, the Realm. Then, I thought… What would a betrayed Harry Potter do if he was offered to live again after being executed and fight more evil? That lead to the though 'What if they sent Harry Potter to a virtual reality game that was actually real?'. Then, this story popped up. I have been desperately trying to ignore the bunny eating my brain, but it won't STOP! So, please, dear readers, bear with me as I embark on another journey to escape the rabid plot bunnies cooped up inside my head.

On a lighter note, chapter 2 of Veil of the Valar will be up soon!

PROLOGUE – Betrayers, Friends, And The Amusing Coup. Justice, Baby.

Harry Potter stared out of his cell doors, studying the cracks in the wall. He was bored. The Dementors were no fun, they hardly ever had time to play cards anymore. That damn Ministry was wearing them ragged. They looked dead on their feet nowadays… No pun intended, of course.

Harry perked up from his pouting position(copyrighted by HP) near the door. He could hear the gliding footsteps of Juan coming closer.

" Hey, Juan! Did you bring some cards?" Harry asked as the Dementor glided/strode into the corridor.

"I am afraid not, Harry. The Aurors are coming in precisely two hours. We've set everything up. It is… truly a prank worthy of the Marauders." Juan broke off, voice tight. He had liked the odd Sirius Black and his lovers, the Dark Man and the Wolf. He really hadn't wanted to inflict his presence on him. Luckily, they managed to avoid him as much as possible.

Bellatrix on the other hand… Well, she was free game.

" Nice one!" Harry chirped eagerly. "Are the others in position? Did you get what Griphook wanted me to receive? Are the bets placed?"

Juan held up a scaled hand, halting the flow of questions.

" Yes, yes and yes, little shadow. All is prepared, and the goblins and other creatures have begun withdrawing themselves."

Harry smiled, stretching. He had been planning this coup for eight months, ever since his inheritance birthday, four months after he had been imprisoned for using Avada Kedavra on Voldemort.  
>Now, for the prank…<p>

An unholy gleam lit his vibrant green eyes. " Open the cell, Juan. Cici and the others must be getting impatient."

Oh, just to see their reactions! This was going to be so FUN!

One hour and fourty-five minutes later, the tramp of boots echoed through Azkaban's main hall. A troop of five Aurors had just departed the boat, to pick up Harry Potter from his cell. They all expected to find a crumbled wreck, or a blubbering madman. Perhaps even a semi-sane teenager.

They didn't expect what they saw when they entered the main hall.

Harry Potter, alive and well, if emaciated and dirty, was sitting at a round table dragged in from who know where, playing cards with the Dementors.

" Hah!" he crowed, startling the Aurors. " I win, Juan! I get the maggot!"

The Dementor next to him slid across a live maggot, which Harry happily crunched. The Dementor across from them dealt the cards, and Harry raised the stakes high.

" You don't stand a chance, Cici, Juan! The only one that's ever beaten me at Poker was Jewel, and she's away."

" Shut up, Harry." Cici and Juan hissed in unison, scabbed cheeks a deep red. The other three at the table roared with laughter. Harry smirked at them.

" And when have you three beaten me, Ling, Min and Sarah?" he asked, before guffawing at their expressions. He drew Juan and Sarah into a hug. They returned it with gusto, and the others offered him smiles. The black-and-red haired boy turned to look at the gaping Aurors.

Sighing, Harry got up. "Guys… and girls? Tell the others goodbye. I'll miss you lot, you know? Oh well. A one manipulative old goat once said 'Death is but the next adventure.'" Sniffling, Harry turned to his escort with a roll of his eyes. He went past them, his muttered 'morons' galvanizing them into action. One of them grabbed his arms roughly, tightening the cuffs far too hard.  
>The rest formed around him, jeering and taunting, or just staring at him with eyes full of loathing and contempt.<p>

These were the people he had bothered to save? These ungrateful idiots were why he had risked his life? Harry was most definitely not happy.

" We stand here, witness to the execution of Harry James Potter-Black-Founder-LeFay. His crimes are as follows: Illegal animagus, form that of a grim. Dual animagus, a sign of a Dark Wizard. Use of the Killing Curse. Murder of Tom Riddle. Murder of Albus Dumbledore. Insanity. Murder of Cedric Diggory. Numerous uses of under-age magic. Consorting with Dark Creatures. Defence of a Dark Creature. Engaging in unnatural acts between a man and yourself. Sharing Tom Riddle's memories without permission. How do you plead?"

" Not guilty to all charges of murder exept Tom's, I don't believe I'm insane, I accidentally received his memories and visions from the curse scar. To the rest, I like your supposed Dark Creatures. They are more intelligent than your average wizard, for sure." His eyes swept scathingly from one corner of the crowd to the other, softening when he reached Hermione, Neville and Luna. " Illegal Animagus? I never got a chance to register. After I killed Voldemort for you sheep, I was thrown right into prison without a trial. Dual Animgaus being a sign of a Dark Wizard? So… Dumbledore was a Dark Wizard? Wouldn't surprise me. As for being homosexual? Yeah, so what? I'm proud of it. Not like I'm proud of saving the majority of you lot, and like I'm proud to die. It means I can finally have some peace."

The crowd shrunk back from his calm, matter-of-fact tone. His face was like stone, sharp and cutting, but his voice was perfectly normal. It was clear, light, and completely devoid of emotion. It was even more scary when he gave a sharp smile. The blood and bruises that coated his body stained his teeth red, and his canines were abnormally sharp.

" Do you have any last words. Murderer?" spat the scroll reader. With absent surprise, Harry noticed it was Dean Thomas.

Harry smirked at them all. He leanst back on his heels, relaxed.

" Just two, Danny-boy. Bring. It."

The Auror behind him raised his wand. " Harry Potter. You are sentenced to death by the Avada Kedavra curse, before which you are to be subjected to three bouts of five minute Cruciatus. Do you wish to plead your case?"  
>The face above him was pale and sweating.<p>

" Remember, Auror. You have to mean it." He whispered slowly, smiling in delight at nothing in particular.

When the first curse hit him, he giggled. It hurt so much, but he found it funny. Morbid, but funny. They were killing their Golden Savior, a nearly eighteen year old boy, with two of the darkest curses known.

His giggles turned to full-blown laughter, which left him writhing and gasping for air as he wheezed. He side hurt from too much laughing, and the white-hot knives of agony inscribing words on his tender skin wasn't helping. By the third lot of agonized screams, interspersed with laughter, he had several more bloody furrows in his skin, and his pores were weeping blood.

Harry laughed. He laughed as they scrambled away from him, scared little sheep. He laughed as a bolt of green light, the exact shade of his eyes, sped towards him. He died laughing, the echoes of his screams and the steady dripping of his blood the only remnants of the last Potter, the last Black, the last Heir, the last of Merlin's line. He was the last. And the Gods forever turned their backs on Wizards.

Juan smiled. Ceci snickered. They led the Dementors and a handful of humans away from the gates of Azkaban.

It was time for the creatures of the world to have their revenge. In the name of Harry Potter… The Wizarding World was going to _burn_.

The next morning, the Ministry awoke to a very bad surprise.

The Goblins had taken all of the Wizarding Gold from their Vaults, claiming it as the property of the Grey Champion.

The Centaurs, Pixies, Fey, magical animals, Faeries, Bowtruckles, all the magical creatures and humans that protested Harry Potter's innocence had disappeared. All part-humans had gone with them, including Mr. Florean, Ollivander, the owners of all shops in Knockturn Alley, and some in Diagon, all of the teachers at Hogwarts and some whole family's, including the Bones, Weasley's and Snapes.

Hogwarts was refusing anyone wanting entry into her hallowed halls, except those seeking sanctuary.

The Department of Mysteries, having been sent Harry Potter's memories from an un-disclosed source, had shut itself down, removed all traces of their work and relocated to Hogwarts.

Magical plants, even non-lethal and not vicious ones, had been growing and attacking wizards at a furious rate.

The Dementors had escaped Azkaban, freeing a handful of those who they knew were innocent.

Acromantula and magical snakes were attacking with a vengeance, and with the centaurs to predict the future…

They had all left one message.

" Thou who are Forsworn have killed thy Lady's Grey Champion, and her Consort's beloved Chosen. Magic shall yet desert ye, and those that you have controlled will slip thy leash. As We Will It, So Mote It Be."

And, two days after Harry Potter died, all those who had not believed in him, those who oppressed and trod on others, all found themselves without magic.  
>The world was in chaos.<p>

The Mother of Magic, Gaia, the Earth of the Universe, shook her head. She was disappointed in her favourites. She had not created them thus. Truly, they did deserve their punishment.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Chapter One! Enter the new world, Narzga! And the whacky Gods, the Auld Gods! Two updates in one day… My fingers hurt. By tomorrow I will definitely have VoV3 up, okay? Or not... We have house inspectors coming today.

Sword Sage – CHAPTER ONE

There was bright white colour. That was the first thing Harry noticed. He felt disconnected from the world around him.  
>The swirling stream of what he somehow knew to be souls rushed past, some bright and vibrantly colored, others dull or menacing. He was like a rock in a tsunami.<p>

A hot pink soul rushed through him, and Harry knew that she was a young girl from Japan who had been killed in a gas explosion caused by terrorists. She was six. Harry now had a fairly basic understanding of a six-year olds mind.

She traveled down, towards the light, along with other bright souls.

Harry looked at himself, even though he knew he didn't have material eyes. His soul was a metallic silvery-grey, shot through with bright greens, blues and gold's. There was a small black star where he supposed his heart would have been on the mist that made up his soul.

Suddenly, there was the sensation of something, a large hand, grabbing his around the waist and dragging him through the souls.

_Old woman, murdered by… young man, brilliant scient-… woman, murderer… man, robbed… child, run over by… girl, raped to de…_

It was a kaleidoscope of sensations and images. Harry passed a carver who had accidentally stabbed himself, a martial arts master who tripped down his stairs, a young girl who had ran to get a ball from the road… He knew their memories, and used his strength of will to hold onto himself.

_He was… Lilly, Jason, HARRY. He was Harry. Harry… Porter, Prater, Puma, POTTER. He was Harry Potter, a Wizard. Lizard? Wizard. He was powerful. Betrayed, Fighting evil. Friend's dead. Life. Cupboard under the stairs. Beatings. No food. Scared. Nice Castle. Talked. Listened. Learned. Fought. Always fighting. No rest. Prison, agony, memories, Uncle. 17. Adult. Juan. Cici. Jewel. Death. Revolt. Here._

He was no Lilly Porter. He was not Jason Puma, or Cecilia Prater, not Andrew Crofter married to Clove Painter.

He was Harry Potter. He wished he wasn't.

Harry gasped for breath, but he didn't have any lungs. Struggling, panicking, he fought against the gentle hands that held him.

" Shhh, my little mage-ling, my sword dancer, my childe. All is well. Sleep, childe. Sleep…"

Lady Magic, otherwise known as Rosie, looked up at her husband. He laid a gentle, comforting hand on her shoulder as she bowed her head to hide her tears. Kyale, Lord Consort of Magic, previously Lord of Dreams, took child and wife into his arms, singing a wordless lullaby.

It broke his heart to see the seventeen-year-old boy. " He will be okay, dearest of my heart. He is strong." His voice echoed hollowly in the great hall, and his wife raised red-rimmed golden eyes to his green ones.

" He is too strong, dear heart. What have those monsters done to him? No one should scream and thrash away from a kind touch. What have they done?" she wept, cradling the teen closer.

The whisper of feet sounded on the white stones of the Palace of Worlds.

" How fares he?" whispered Gaia, her voice quiet but strong. She was a woman as timeless as the Palace itself, the Mother of all Worlds. Her white, sightless eyes and silver hair may have marked her age, but her face was still youthful, her robe clad body still young.

" They have done damage to him, mother. I do not know if even Dari could heal him of his scars… but he is so strong. He is our Grey Champion, our Chosen. I only wish to punish those who have hurt my childe." Answered Rosie, her voice still thick with tears.

" I have punished them well enough, child. Do only trouble yourself so with your Champion and his choices. He is needed one more time yet." Her voice whispered through the air, twining around their bodies.

" If you so wish it mother."

" If you so say, Gaia."

" Wake him." She commanded, ignoring Lady Magic's protests. " He is strong enough to travel the Way of Souls. I wish to meet your Champion face-to-face. Wake him."

" I am already awake."

" Ah, childe!" cried out Rose, clutching him closer. She fluttered her hands anxiously, noticing the blood for the first time. " You have awoken! Oh, happy days, dearest, happy, happy days!"

Harry looked bemused. " Excuse me, but… where am I and who are you?" He asked, looking around. There was an old woman, with blind white eyes, who seemed to be the most powerful of the three. The blue-haired, golden eyed woman who was hugging him seemed familiar, as did the brown-haired man with the green eyes standing near them.

" I've seen you… In my dreams." Harry murmured, gazing at them in wonder. " But, where are the others? The man with the green hair and silver eyes? And the lady with golden hair and brown eyes? The girl who sang so prettily, with the blue eyes and red hair?"

Rosie laughed, a tinkling sound that seemed to light up the whole room. Hall, more accurately. They were in a massive hall, covered with white stone and decorated with black marble from head to toe.

" I am Rosalind, Lady of Magic. Beside me is my Consort, Kyale, Lord of Magic, previous Lord of Dreams. In front of you is Gaia, the Mother of Worlds, and my true mother. The man you mentioned in Morpheus, current Lord of Dreams and Lord of Elements. The golden lady you described is Lady Luck and Lady of Fate, Cordelia. The Lady of Music and the Lady of Peace is Persimonne, also the Lady of Nurture. The last Auld God in this place is Roya, a man, the Lord of Nature and Weather. He has black hair and silver eyes. The others have gone on journeys or quests far from this Palace of Worlds." She explained, lifting the small teen up to let him stand on his own.

" And why have you brought me here, Lady, Lord and Mother?" Harry asked, a strange blanket separating his mind from his emotions. He suspected he had gone into shock.

" We are giving you a choice, childe." Came the whisper-strong voice of Gaia.

"A choice?"

" Yes, childe. You have two options. We offer you death, so that you can be at peace. Or, we offer you the chance of another world, where you would find strength, friendship and perhaps even love. There is only one thing. The world we would send you too is quite archaic, and you would be required to once again face evil." Warned Kyale seriously, gazing at him with stern green eyes.

" I… I get to choose?" muttered the dark-haired teen in some disbelief, staring at a spot on the immaculate floor. He looked up sharply. " Do I get to keep some abilities? Such as my minor metamorphic abilities, and my animagus forms?"

" Hmm… Mother?"

" I believe you should receive your forms, yes. They will be useful to you. As for your other abilities… No to the metamorphic. It is unfair. But… I notice you only know of those two. Do you not know of your other abilities?" Gaia asked, frowning slightly.

Harry gave a short laugh. " How would I know? In case you have forgotten, The first 16 years of my life were spent being beaten, abused, fighting Voldemort and having the whole of society turn on me, plus I spent the last twelve months in prison for trumped up charges and then died. I didn't have much time, what with planning a nation-wide rebellion and trying to keep my sanity intact." He ended bitterly, with a sardonic smile.

" Yes. I rather liked that rebellion, actually. Speaking of that… The gift, from the goblin Griphook. What is it?" asked Rosie.

Harry smiled. "I asked him, as soon as I knew I was going to be arrested, to give all but an Extended Space Pouch full of gold to the rebellion movement I was planning. I then asked him, as my manager, to gather all the items he deemed valuable and rare, mainly books, seeds and eggs, and to put them in my special trunk. I didn't want them to fall into bad hands. I was going to get Juan, the Dementor, to give it to Hermione once I was dead."

" Mother?"

" Aye, childe. Know that this counts as yours and mine gifts to him, though." Gaia sighed, closing her eyes. A twist of the wrist later, and the miniaturized trunk hung snugly around his neck. " I added some."

"Thank you." Harry breathed, impulsively striding forward and hugging the old woman tightly. After a moment, she gingerly returned the hug. " This has my parents journals, and all of their work."

" Now… Morpheus has given you his gift, as has Cordelia, though you don't get to know what they are, yet. Persimonne has given you a gift of Music, and Roya something truly special that I am sure you will discover in due time. Know that, childe; if you choose to die, our best wishes still go with you. Our gifts do not."

" However... I can release you from thy chains." whispered Gaia, raising her hands with the slow, ponderous inevitability of a mountain. "Champion of my Daughter, I will relieve you of thy burden." Intoned Gaia, holding her hand up, palm towards him. Her hand shot forward fast, touching once, twice, thrice on the forehead, then once on his heart, his stomach and between his shoulders. " Thy seals are not blocked, thy powers are free. As I Will It, So Mote It Be." She chanted, and six black flashes of light burst from where she had touched.

" W-what did you just do?" stammered Harry, backing away. It hadn't hurt him, but… He began to panic. He darted his eyes around, looking for an escape route. Suddenly, a familiar and deeply hated voice came from in front of him. The black lights had coalesced into a dark mist, which projected the image of the ruins of Godric's Hollow.

" Well, my boy. You are a truly powerful little wizard. We can't have that, oh no. You might challenge me one day. What to do, what to do…" muttered Dumbledore, stroking his beard. He gazed down at the baby Harry, before smirking. " I know. I'll just seal all that power away. Maybe even take some for myself…"

The old wizard in the bright yellow robes raised his wand, and began to chant, ignoring baby Harry's wails.

The image faded before his eyes, and the teen looked furious. " What did he do to me?" Harry asked with a deadly calm.

" He blocked your powers. Since that body is your soul, I could remove them. There were three magic-binding blocks, three ability blocks and inheritance blocks woven together, and a spell which bound them all to your scar and let him feed off you." Replied Gaia, gently drawing the tense boy into a hug. He clung to her, weeping.

" So many people might not have died… If I'd known…" he sobbed brokenly, clutching at Gaia.

" You didn't know, and it was not your fault." Said Rosie decisively, nodding sharply. She startled a laugh from Harry when she began to rub her hands together evilly. " Him, on the other hand…"

" I'll go. To the new world." Harry broke in, interrupting their plans for revenge. "If I can save other people by going… Then, I'll go."

" That's our childe!" All three crowed happily, dancing around him with delighted smiles.

"You'll need a new name. How about... Hariel, the Angel of Death. Nightstalker would make a nice last name... Oooh, and I've always loved Eragon. How about... Hariel Ellesmero Nightstalker?" pondered Gaia, stopping their victory dance.

"Lovely, Mother. Ah... It suits him..." sighed Rosie, hugging her husband close as she began a crooning song.

_Ah, crap. I'm going to a new, unknown world, being helped by gods crazier than Bellatrix, and yet saner than me. How do I get myself into these things? _Harry groaned. He was already starting to regret his decision. The gate they told him would send Hariel to Nirzga, the new world, reminded him eerily of the Veil in the Department of Mysteries.

With a heavy sigh, he stood. Walking towards the gateway that would lead him to his destiny, he cast one look back at the happily waving threesome.

_Oh, Lords and Ladies. I'm doomed._

And so Harry Potter, now Hariel Ellesmero Nightstalker (HE hadn't chosen the name.) walked through the rip in space and time towards his destiny with a deepening sense of foreboding.

_I'm absolutely and utterly doomed. I bet Ron's laughing his ass off in Heaven right now. With friends like mine, who needs enemies?_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, you guys are going to hate me for killing her off, but… It had to be done, sorry. The actual plot will start soon, probably next chapter. Just telling you guys, this will not be a Super Harry fic, but a Powerful, Damaged Harry Who Finds Love And Friends Then Saves The World fic. He will not be the most powerful person by a long shot. He just has an advantage, is all.

A/N2: This seems a bit choppy… If you want clarification about something, the PM me. If you didn't like something, or loved something, drop me a review. Okay? Cool. I REVISED IT! Re-read, please. I added more. I think it flows better now. Before, the death's reaction from Harry seemed a little... fake.

_Sword Sage – Chapter 2_

Somewhere in an isolated mountain range near the center of the Central Continent of Nirzga, a flash of light lit up the sky. A brief glimpse of a humanoid figure gently falling, and then the illumination from the flash faded. The only witness was a small dragon hatchling, black as coal, which slipped out of the nest to investigate further.

Purple eyes determined, with a mighty flap of his wings, S'krae flew towards where the great flash of light had landed. He had found his Kraal Journey's start.

The dragons of Nirzga were not atypical of the rest of the worlds. These dragons had their own complicated social hierarchy's and tests, and the major one in a young dragon's life was its Kraal journey. At exactly five years of age, each dragon set off on its own on a quest, devised by the young dragon themselves by what they saw, or what signs they read, on their birthday. The dragon could only return from its journey if it completed the personally set quest, and/or found their Bonded. If they didn't, they would never advance in the ranks and become a Drakon, or stronger. To become a Drakon, a dragon had to complete their Kraal Quest and find their Bonded, a creature/person they would choose to be their companion and friend for the rest of their life. A Drakon was a dragon allowed to become a Warrior of the Ranges, vowing to protect those too weak to do so themselves, and dedicating themselves to destroying evil.

After becoming a Drakon, a dragon could only advance the ranks by proving themselves in battles alongside their Bonded, completing Quests and working together with their Bonded. To the dragons, their Bonded was a best friend, a comrade, a brother-in-arms and the one they could trust absolutely.  
>The highest rank for a dragon and their Bonded was Elda, allowed to sit on the Council of Ranges.<p>

A dragon knew, as soon as they saw their Bonded, that they were The One.

Hariel groaned. He sat up, grimacing at the scent of old and new blood on his clothes. It seemed his wounds had re-opened when he fell.

The red and black haired teen rose to his feet stiffly, wincing with every movement. He rolled his shoulders, loosening the muscles, and tried to still the trembling of his hands. His wings fluttered behind him, and Hariel closed his eyes in blissful peace…

**WAIT.**

_Rewind. WINGS? I have freakin' WINGS? That is weird. Possibly nearly as weird as… Oh god. I talked to the Auld Gods. I threatened the Auld Gods. I laughed. At. The. Auld. Gods… I HUGGED an AULD GOD! _Hariel screamed mentally, before slapping himself.

" Okay… Just, calm down. Its not so bad… right? I mean, one day in the life of Hariel Nighstalker! Gods above, I hate that name… It makes me sound so girly…" he sighed, feeling like crying. "Oh, great. Now I'm talking to myself. Great move there, Hariel. Become mad. Yeah, sooo going to help in the battle against evil and what-not…"

Hariel groaned. He was seventeen! Couldn't he get a break? Attempt to have a semi-normal childhood? Could he not end up, just once, in a life-threatening situation… with WINGS?

Obviously not.

Damn.

_I'm screwed._

" Right. First thing first. Organise trunk-thing. Then, find a town. Gather information and history, buy sword. Find out why the hell I have glowing numbers on a hanging mist in front of me. Then, sleep. Oh, wondrous, joyous sleep, how I long for you!" He cried out dramatically, then dropped his arm and sighed. Too little energy.

Hariel took hold of the trunk, long white fingers tapping out the agreed upon sign with Griphook, then cutting his thumb with a sharp canine. He let a single drop of the red blood fall onto a tiny rose carved into the wood. Grinning, Hariel watched as the trunk grew larger. He and Griphook had organised three sigils to be carved, which, when activated by Hariel aka. Harry's blood, would transfigure the trunk to either a backpack or a belt. The rose turned it back to a trunk if pressed with a bloody finger, and shrunk or enlarged the trunk if a single drop of blood fell onto it. The lily made it a backpack, and the cavorting wolf, dog and stag made it into different belts.

He tapped one of the other sigils with his bloody thumb, and watched with delight as the trunk smoothly transformed into an old-fashioned backpack. He loved Blood Magic. It was so dang _useful_.

He tapped the first lock on the bag with his finger. The lock glowed briefly, and then faded back to copper. Hariel opened the top of the bag, fumbling slightly with the lacings tying it together. Inside was a small bag with a pile of gold hidden inside, his broken wand and some food and water in their especially charmed boxes.

The second lock was brass, and it glowed blue before fading away at the touch of his finger. The inside was that of a large potions lab, stocked and full. Hariel whistled. He hadn't known that was there. Gaia must have put it there. Sneaky... He liked it.

The third lock was bronze, and it took longer to open than the last two. The compartment inside there was filled with books from ceiling to floor. The winged teen's eyes gleamed, before he reluctantly closed the pack. For a brief moment his eyes grew dark with pain. _Hermione would have loved this..._

The fourth lock was silver. That compartment contained all the relics of his family, from rings to tapestries, dairies to albums filled with moving pictures. Hariel smiled gently at the un-activated portrait of his parents.

The fifth lock was gold. It contained a plain room, with sets of blank spaces only occasionally filled with weapons. There was a tatami mat and several sets of loose clothing. At the far side was another door, which led to the Vault room. He had to squeeze down a ladder coming from the top of the pack to get there.

The sixth lock was platinum, and glowed a sharp silver for several minutes before settling down. Hariel opened the flap gingerly. Inside was a large forest, with wild magical plants growing everywhere, and eggs/babies of extinct or rare animals in their special areas.

The two side pockets and front one had all been magically expanded, and even had their own secret compartments, separated by magic walls. It was useful, but Hariel didn't even know if he could do that to other things...  
><em><br>Do I still have magic?_Hariel wondered.

The white, black and silver winged young man concentrated, slipping smoothly into a trance. He followed the twists and winds of his magic through his body and down to the brightly glowing ball of multi-colored light in the center of his chest.  
>The twining greens, gold's, blues, silvers and grays spun around a central column of white light, which had expanded since his last visit. It seemed the lock had done more damage than he had expected.<p>

_Well… It seems I can manipulate Air and Earth, and to some extent Water. My normal abilities have been suppressed, so I can't conjure food or weapons, or majorly expand or transform things, only make things from the natural world… Oh, and what is this? I can… Oh, I see. The wings are part of one of my Inheritances… And I have a wolf and cat Inheritance? Plus a snake one? That's weird… And my other two abilities were summoning my familiars and connecting to them, and a minor control of Shadow. Huh. Cool._

Hariel 'waved' goodbye to his core, watching as the grey faded to nothing, followed by the appearance of three animals rolling around. It was a symbol of his Creature Inheritance awakening.

Green eyes opening, Hariel sighed, stretching and rolling his muscles. His nervous energy had faded, and so had the daze he suspected he had been in, probably induced by shock. He pondered what his core had told him through images and colours. Speaking of which... Had he changed at all? Hariel sniffed the air, swinging the backpack onto his shoulders. There was a stream, close by, through those trees.

Hariel gazed at his reflection. He hardly recognised himself anymore. His wild black hair was the same, if slightly longer, but it had auburn and bright, blood-red streaks through it. His skin was paler than he remembered it, and he could see a faint, twining mark on the side of his neck, which had definitely not been there before. His wings were white, with black and silver feathers threaded in a seemingly random pattern through the outside of the wings. The inside was the same, but with azure blue and electric green feathers, mirroring the other patterns. It looked... Cool. Hariel's fingernails were hard and sharp, and his canines were longer, hardier, more dangerous than a normal human. His ears were pointed and slightly longer, his pupils less round than before. His tongue also had a faint dip in the middl, like the beginnings of a forked tongue.

Hariel looked closer at his neck, leaning over the stream and pulling down his tattered shirt. It was a black dragon, made out of tiny, blue ridged iridescent scales. The head rested on his shoulder, tail curled around his bicep while the body rested in a U shape along his chest. It looked like those tattoos Bonded wizards got when their familiar was near...

_Familiars…_He wondered. Hariel stretched out his had, following the faint purple threads with his mind. One led back to the sky, another north. The other two led directly ahead, at an angle towards the mountains, and the other one far, far to the south. The one coming from the mountains was heading towards him, so no need to worry about that one. The one stretching above his head would have been Hedwig…

" Shit! They did NOT!" Hariel yelled, looking up in disbelief. He shook his head. "No… They wouldn't… right?" he whispered, sounding like a lost child. Hariel broke down, trembling, and rocked himself on the hard ground, his large wings forming a protective shell around his body.

_THEY KILLED HER! They… they killed my Hedwig, my Familiar… They killed her… She's dead…_He sobbed, before angrily wiping away his tears. He wasn't a child anymore. Hariel doubted he had ever been a child. Tears didn't help the massive, gaping hole in his heart, or the crushing sadness threatening his sanity.

Hedwig had been his first friend, his mother and sister and more. True, he would be devastated if his human friends died, but the bond he had shared with her, although he did not recognise it at the time, was far stronger. She was his, and he was hers. It just was that way.

He remembered the way she would croon to him at night when he had a nightmare, and fussily organise his hair in the mornings. She would follow him to breakfast and even classes, stealing his food, nipping him to remind him or scold him in potions, flying at those who teased him. Her golden eyes had always been warm and gentle. She was the thing he had missed the most when he agreed to go. If he had died, at least he may have seen her again.

Now he knew. Hedwig had been the winged teens Familiar. It all made sense.

Hariel looked at his wings. They reminded him of her, that beautiful white and silver, the black like that tuft of feathers underneat her right wing that she loved him scratching so much. And they were protecting him, even now, wrapping around him as if she was up there, trying to comfort him even in death.

He wasn't a baby. He could take care of himself. He didn't need anyone. All you got from friends and trust was heartache and death. He didn't need that. He had three familiars to find, and a world to save.

There was no time anymore.

No time for grieving.

No time for living.

All he had to do was kill the evil, and he could die in peace, and maybe even see Hedwig, and Ron, and Severus, Remus, Sirius...

Peace.

_What a lovely thought…_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Just to clear things up, Harry was being forced to witness what would happen should he accept their offer in a year, and so gave him time to get things ready.__

_**CHAPTER 3(I THINK?)**___

_Harry Potter reeled backwards. Viridian eyes gazed up at the blue haired woman standing next to the large pool, similar to a Pensieve, she had forced his head into._

_"You see, Harry Potter? In exactly one day, the Aurors come for you. You need to make your preparations for Azkaban. This is what shall come to pass." She gestured at the pool, and that gesture encompassed all that he had just seen._

_"So… I will be going to this… Narzjai place in a years time?" he pondered aloud. Harry smiled. "Thank you for informing me, Lady Magic." Harry's bow was rewarded with a smile._

_"You are my Champion, my Childe. It is the least I can do. So... yes. Never fear. Your death is not truly the end of your life." Lady Magic pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead._

_"Aye… Well. Give my regards to the others in the Palace. You already know what my choice will be. Hermione calls it my 'saving people' thing." Harry laughed, sadness flickering in his eyes. "I don't want her to have to see me 'die'…"_

_"Some things are inevitable, childe. You just have to accept, and move on."_

_"Yes… I know. But…" Harry pouted, looking up at her pleadingly. "Do I have to suffer the Cruciatus?"_

_A tinkling, fading laugh was his only answer, and Harry was falling, falling, falling…_

Harry shot up in his bed, sheets tangled, panting. Rivulets of sweat ran down his boxer-clad body, and Harry groaned.

"Shit. I'm screwed." He muttered, before looking at his clock. "WHAT? It's already 6'o'clock? I'm late. I only have a day to get everything organized… And gather my stuff up."

Harry raced around his room, pulling clothes off hooks and hangars, brushing his teeth while buttoning his pants, attempting to calm his wild mane of hair, to no avail, before hopping out the door while pulling on a shoe, piece of toast set firmly in mouth.

Harry face-palmed himself.

"Of course, Kingsley and Severus…" cursing, Harry ran back inside number 12 Grimmauld Place. "Kreacher!"

"Yes, master? What does master want of Kreacher?" squeaked the old elf, looking up with excited eyes.

"Kreacher, I want you to go to Kingsley's place, and then Severus's old place. Tell Sev's caretaker 'Harry Potter has come to collect', then go to the basement and get the trunk of potions out from the hidden passage in the south wall." Harry ordered, raising his hand when Kreacher looked to be about to pop off. "Tell Kingsley… Inform him that if the Aurors attempt to harm you, or any of my friends before or after my arrest, I have placed some trigger-delayed spells on the Ministry. Also, tell him that… that I do not blame him for the Ministry or their actions. It is his job."

At Harry's nod, Kreacher popped off, actually smiling, creepily enough. Harry hadn't had much for him to do since the end of the Final Battle five days ago, so the old elf had just been puttering around with noting to do.

_Okay, potions is a tick. Now for Gringotts, and then the magical creatures, I'll let the Goblins inform them of the coup. I also want to talk to Lord Hogwarts, then I'll get a trunk and spend the last few hours rune inscribing it._ Harry thought to himself, discarding and making new plans so rapidly he felt slightly dizzy.

With a soft 'crack', Harry apparated to Diagon Alley. The tall, slightly crooked white building made Harry smile. Gringotts was as familiar to him as Hogwarts, and nearly as treasured. With a nod and a short bow to the pairs of goblins guarding the doors, Harry made his way inside.

He waited patiently in line at the far end teller, looking around and trying to imprint the building onto his memory. This would be the last time he stepped onto the white marble floor, or took the exhilarating ride down to his vaults. This would be the last time he spoke to the swarthy, clever little goblins with the long fingers and quick minds, and the last time he would see any of his teachers or goblin sparring partners.

" Greetings. May your gold flow fast and rich, Master Teller."

"… May your bounty grow, Mr. Potter." Responded the goblin. "What brings you here today?"

"I wish to see my account manager, Lord Ragnarok, my Vault manager and my estate manager, Master… Rignook." Harry replied, after a moment of attempting to remember the goblins name. From the approving smirk Rignook gave him, he had gotten his name correct.

" Please proceed to Meeting Room 5, Mr. Potter. Lord Ragnarok, Sir Griphook and Sir Gripefoot will meet you there." With a bang of his hammer, the goblin shouted next. Harry bowed, before weaving his way through the crowds of witches and wizards. He strode through hall after hall, all hewn by hand from the earth herself, before stopping at a door adorned only with a five-pointed star.

Harry knocked.

" Come in, Harry Potter." Came the deep, gravelly voice of Lord Ragnarok. Pressing his hand to the star, Harry moved through it as though it was not there. Only one wearing both the Potter and Black rings could make the door immaterial, so it was a good safe-guard against imposters.

" Lord Ragnarok, Sir Griphook, Sir Gripefoot." Harry bowed, before taking a seat and getting straight down to business. " I am sure you are all wondering why I called you?"

All three nodded.

"Well, Lady Magic sent me a Seer Dream last night. She informed me that the Aurors would be arresting me tomorrow, and showed me the best way to deal with what is to come. Therefore, I need your help. I wish to plan a coup, to get away from those bigots and pureblood supremacists, and away from the Ministry. Not for me, but for magical creatures, and those witches or wizards that do not care about blood or race. This is what I want to do…"

Harry detailed his plan. First, he wanted the goblins to get in touch with all of the magical creatures, and let Hagrid in on the plan. He had good relations with all of them. Then, he promised them Hogwarts castle as a refuge. Hogwarts himself would agree, Harry was sure. Than, he proposed a long-term plan, of opening Hogwarts again as a school, and helping magical orphans, or muggleborns, or squibs, to find jobs. They would be creating their very own society for the oppressed.

After sending Gripefoot away to get started, Harry turned back to the others.

"I wish to visit my Vaults. All of them. Also, as a starter for the Resistance movement, 99% of all my funds and income, in gold, will be given to the goblins. Also, any un-needed goblin-made weapons or items, I give back to the goblin nation. Also, as Heir to LeFay, Founder of Gringotts, I give permission for the goblins to withdraw any funds from known Death Eater, pureblood supremacists or magical creature haters. As long as, if a family member is not of the same opinion, they shall be allowed to access at least some of their rightful inheritance." Harry paused, making sure they understood, before he continued.

"Also, I would like to make it clear that any and all items seized by the Ministry that belong to any magical creature are hereby to be returned to their rightful owners after being seized, by force or negotiation. Ragnarok, I would like you to release all dragons in Gringotts. They have a grudge against the Ministry, and I know you have been secretly 'accidentally' forgetting to lock chains and stuff for a long time."

Harry took a deep, gulping breath. He was really not used to talking so much. The three, one human and two goblins, spent the next hour discussing the finer points of the rebellion, and the best day to execute it. Bowing to Ragnarok at the conclusion of their meeting, Harry followed Griphook to the carts.

" Vault 1221. Potter Vault." Griphook announced as the cart came to a screeching halt. Harry climbed out. He conjured a knife, allowing Griphook to cut his palm and lay it on the seemingly blank wall. As Harry watched, lines of gold fire drew a door in the wall, and then it solidified. The dark-haired teen pushed to doors open, grabbing an Extended Space Pouch from the hook near the door. He then proceeded to stuff as many Galleons as he could fit into the bag, which was quite a lot.

Using Wingardium Leviosa, Harry deposited the rest of the gleaming gold into the next seven bags, handing the to a flabbergasted Griphook. Moving on, Harry went through the next door, into the items part of the Vault.

The Potters had an extensive library, true, but Harry had already read them all, so he ignored the towering Anybook on its stand. He discarded all the swords save two, a set of black Katana's, specially enchanted for real combat. Those he slipped into another bag, this one reminiscent of Hermione's Bottomless purse that had saved them so many times on their adventures. Harry had enchanted Hagrid's gift, the moleskin pouch, to be the same.

A glass box of seeds went in next, then an Ever Full Gardening Kit from one of his eccentric old aunts. All the eggs and baby creatures in stasis went carefully into the bag, most of which would be going to Hagrid. A black leather coat, falling nearly to the ground on Harry, was left with a box of his birthday gifts.  
>The note read:<p>

_Dear Harry,_

_This is a coat given to each Potter when they turn 14. It will turn most blades and minor hexes/curses, and automatically sizes itself. Until it no longer fits you, you are entitled to wear it always._

_Love, Mum and Dad._

His box of gifts also included baby stuff, and a portrait of his parents, not yet activated. There was also a protective earring from his dad, and didn't Harry just feel like crying just then? Harry slipped the silver and ruby earring onto his left ear, feeling the hum of magic. It was also a protection item, and made sure his magic was more easily controlled by siphoning off extra and storing it inside.

The Black Vault was dealt with in the same way, but with several sets of enchanted throwing daggers as his chosen weapon. Seeds and animals were placed inside the pouch with great care.

The LeFay Vault had a lovely set of bow and arrows, which Harry immediately snatched up. It was done it white wood, with silver and black runes inscribed on every available surface, including on the arrows. Harry was in love. And the collection of plants and seeds blew his breath away!

The Founders Vault included a locket, enchanted, and two bracelets, also enchanted. Harry also found a pair of Never Wear dragon-hide boots, and a tattered black cloak with a hood that was always warm, and made the person wearing it less noticeable. If Harry was truly going to have wings, he would need that. His invisibility cloak had been given to Teddy, placed in his Vault for the time when he turned 13. The Founders, mainly Helga, Rowena and Salazar, had collected every rare plant and its seed in existence. They had no animals in their Vault, because all rare animals had been turned loose, once old enough, into the Forbidden Forest by Godric.

Nodding to Griphook, Harry clambered back into the cart. His next stop was Hogwarts.

Bowing again to the new goblin guards, Harry stepped into the Alley, screwing up his eyes at the bright sunlight. His eyes watered slightly. He had spent, or so he estimated, about three hours down there, so it was between 9 and 10 in the morning. Hand still raised to cover his eyes, and, by _lucky_ extension, his scar, Harry apparated outside the gates of Hogwarts.

* Hello, Lord Hogwarts. * Harry called out with his mind.

* Greetings, little god-touched one. *

* Hey! I'm not little, I'm… vertically challenged. * Harry pouted. 5"6 wasn't short. He was taller than… than the goblins!

* What brings you here? * asked Lord Hogwarts, his voice making Harry wince slightly. He was _loud_.

* Well, I've actually come for Hagrid. But, I was also planning on asking the Room of Requirements, specifically the Lost and Found part, for a good trunk. * Harry explained, already half-way to Hagrid's hut.

"Hagrid!" Harry exclaimed. "What in the four founders happened to you? Merlin's saggy tits, man! You look half dead."

Hagrid raised a badly swollen face to Harry, holding a slab of sickly green meat to the side of his face visible to Harry.

" Ach, it was nothing, 'Arry. One 'o old Moldywarts fellas got me wi'h a pretty strong curse righ' to me face, is all. I gave him a righ' hook to remember, though, so don't ye worry." Hagrid said, some of his words muffled and garbled by both injury and meat. Harry shook his head. Only Hagrid…

"Well, I got you a little something. Call it a… going away present. The Ministry has decided I'm a threat, so they are going to be taking me to Azkaban tomorrow." Harry grinned wryly at Hagrid's immediate defense of him. Holding up a hand, he waited until the furious diatribe had ended before speaking again. " So, because I didn't want the Ministry seizing anything, I'm giving you all the animals and eggs I could find in my Vaults. They are all in stasis, so no worries about having to take care of all, oh, 1000 of them at once. Besides. I've made sure that Hogwarts, by being Founders Heir, is not open to anyone of ill nature or malcontent against its residents…"

Harry choked. Hagrid had caught him up in a gigantic bear hug, and Harry was sure he could hear his own ribs creaking in protest.

"Can't… Breathe…" he gasped out, and started coughing as soon as Hagrid had released him. With a trembling hand, Harry reached into the pouch, _accio-ing _all the animals and eggs inside. Hagrid's eyes began to twinkle, eerily like those of Dumbledore.

" Harry… This is, well, it's the best present I've ever received in my life!" Hagrid paused, studying the containers with a pensive look on his face. Harry waited. Hagrid spoke again, moving through the orderly rows of creatures. "But, I can't ta'e them all. I wan' ye ta have at least one o' these beauties. I could no' live with myself if ye did not."

Harry sighed, before closing his eyes. There was Hagrid's familiar green and grey aura, filled with a tint of worry-colour. None of the other aura's near him sung to him, so he stretched his senses out as far as he could, encompassing all one thousand creatures. There was one, bright and shining and silver, and another, glittering and gold, in an egg. Harry opened his eyes, striding towards the place of the auras.

The egg was verdant green, banded with the same gold and silver as its residents, in swirling patterns, which tricked the eyes and seemed to move. Harry placed it back in the bag.

" Happy?" he asked, turning back to Hagrid. A beaming smile was his only answer, as Hagrid was too busy looking and finding out about his newest 999 additions to the family.

Harry smiled softly at the scene. The black-haired teen turned back towards the castle, restarting his mental conversation with Lord Hogwarts.

* Lord Hogwarts? I wish to ask of you a favour. *

* Yes, little one? *

* Can you make sure nobody with the intent to hurt, harm or steal is allowed inside? Also, I told the goblins that Hogwarts would become the magical refuge I promised them. Do you think that is acceptable? *

* Of course it is. I was tempted to kick that Umbitch woman out as soon as she set foot on my halls, if not for Dumbledore. I would love to have new children, creature or human, anytime. Excuse me, little angel, I need to go and fix something… That blasted Peeves * Hogwarts muttered peevishly, fading away from Harry's mind.

The soon-to-be-winged teen crept up to the seventh floor, noting with some surprise that Barnabas the Barmy had managed to put together an acceptable ballet performance from his trolls. Harry walked three times past the blank wall.

_I need the place where everything is lost._

Turn, start again, pass tapestry.

_I need the place where everything is found._

Turn, pass the wall.

_I need the place where I can find anything.  
><em>_**  
><strong>_Harry stopped as the door materialized. He opened it, and stepped inside the room cautiously.

The Fiendfyre had burnt some of it, yes, but it had been contained by the Room's enchantments and charms. Luckily, most of the contents were singed but unharmed.

" I need a trunk. Preferably with lots of space and compartment and access to books." Harry called out.

Several large trunks flew at him, hovering just above his head.

" I need the same, but for backpacks and pouches."

Small bags, backpacks and pouches flew to the spaces between the trunks.

" I need something with more than four compartments." Harry said, frowning at the large amount of items. Immediately, over 40 flew away back to their compartments. " I need something with blood locks, and large rooms."

Another ten flew away immediately, leaving Harry with five trunks, six backpacks, several handbags and two pouches.

" I need a room to grow things, possibly a room to cook, a training room and a book room."

Three trunks, four backpacks, all the handbags and one pouch flew away, the others hovering patiently.

One trunk was completely black, with six locks of varying metals shaped to look like silver decorations. Each had a sharp spike in the center, and was designed to look like abstract art.

The other trunk was white, with seven locks of platinum inscribed with different symbols. There were hollows in the center of the locks, presumably for a drop of blood.

The single pouch was pitch black, with a green six-pointed star in the center and a diamond in the middle of the star. Each point and the middle of the diamond was made of an emerald sewn into the fabric, and with tiny pictures on their surfaces.

The two backpacks were brown. One was just a single opening, with five small brown locks, which Harry promptly discarded.  
>The other was a deeper brown, and the locks were just ties of leather running down the back, with silver circles on top. It had two side pockets, enlarged, and a 'muggle' front pocket, which meant it wasn't enchanted.<p>

None of them looked like the trunk from the Dream shown to him.

Harry focused intently on the image from his 'dream'. The seven rooms, the locks, how it could transform., and the Room vanished the white trunk. The black trunk, brown backpack and black pouch were studied by the enchantments, and, deemed similar, were promptly merged together.

When Harry opened his eyes, the trunk was identical to the one he had 'seen'.

Smirking in triumph, Harry took out the Bottomless Bag at his side and emptied its contents in their respective rooms. The moneybag went into the 'muggle' first compartment.

Harry traveled around the castle, visiting the teachers and telling them his plans, before he apparated away from Hogwarts.

The same process was repeated with Hermione, Neville, Luna and Remus, before Harry collapsed at his apartment, barely remembering to take his eye corrective potion and stick the trunk procured by Kreacher in his new necklace before he dropped off to sleep.

The next time he awoke, he was in Azkaban.

Harry smiled.

All was going according to plan… 


End file.
